Summer Adventures: Part 2 (July & August 2024)
In mid-July we took a morning trip to the northernmost part of Greenville County in South Carolina to hike and investigate two waterfalls. Our first stop was at Twin Falls. As the name implies there are two separate falls at one location. From the parking area, it is about a 1/4 mile easy hike. At the site, there is an observation deck and seating. You can also easily walk along the rocks in the shallow creek.
Our second and final falls for the morning was Wildcat Wayside Falls. In the 1930s, the National Park Service experimented with little parks along major highways. Wildcat Wayside along US 276 was one of those wayside parks. You can see the first of four falls from the parking area. It is about a 30 foot falls. There is a one-mile loop trail that takes you to a total of four falls. Although the one at the very top of the loop was barely a trickle when we were there.
Anniversary Trip to Georgia and Tennessee
For our 46th anniversary, we took a trip to Blue Ridge, GA. After checking into hour hotel, we drove a few miles for a 1/2 mile hike to the Toccoa River Swinging Bridge. This 270 foot long bridge is the longest swinging bridge east of the Mississippi River. It crosses the Toccoa River and leads to a small creek and tiny waterfall on the other side.
After our hike we walked around downtown Blue Ridge, GA. Hard to miss is the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway Station in the middle of downtown. We also stopped to have dinner at Southern Charm restaurant.
The main purpose of this anniversary trip was to take a train ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. Starting at the historic depot in downtown Blue Ridge, GA, we took a four-hour, 26-mile roundtrip journey along the Toccoa River through the North Georgia countryside. The first leg of the adventure took us on a one-hour trip to the quaint sister towns of McCaysville, GA and Copperhill, TN, nestled deep in the mountains on each state’s line. We got to tour both towns during a two-hour layover before taking the one-hour return trip through the scenic forest and back to the depot in Blue Ridge, GA. Highlights of the trip included standing in two towns in two separate states at the same time; eating a rum cake at the Rum Cake Lady Cafe; crossing the Toccoa River on a combination car/pedestrian bridge; sightseeing in the various shops; and, of course, the train ride itself.
Stay at Home August
August was a stay-at-home month. We spent a good amount of time with our grandkids celebrating birthdays, swimming at our neighborhood pool, stopping for ice cream, going out to eat, and playing games and pickleball. There was also time to us for reading, exercising, and eating out.
